Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) through Canada’s Express Entry system is a crucial step toward permanent residence (PR). However, after receiving the invitation, applicants have only 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence (PR) application with all the required supporting documents.

One of the most common reasons candidates struggle to meet this deadline is the delay in obtaining police certificates.

Many countries take several weeks or even months to issue these documents. If applicants wait until they receive their ITA before requesting a police certificate, they may run out of time before the 60-day deadline expires.

For this reason, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recommends that Express Entry candidates begin collecting police certificates as soon as they enter the Express Entry pool instead of waiting until they receive an invitation.

Police certificates are required because IRCC uses them to determine whether an applicant has a criminal record that could affect their admissibility to Canada.

In most cases, applicants must provide police certificates from every country where they have lived for six months or longer after turning 18 years of age. Canada is the only exception, as IRCC conducts its own background checks for time spent in the country.

What To Do If A Police Certificate Is Delayed?

Not every applicant can receive a police certificate before the 60-day deadline. IRCC understands that some countries have lengthy document issuance procedures and has created a solution for applicants facing these delays.

If a police certificate cannot be obtained before the deadline, applicants should still submit their permanent residence application on time. However, they must include two important documents:

  • A letter explaining why the police certificate could not be obtained before the deadline.
  • Evidence showing that every reasonable effort was made to obtain the certificate before the application deadline.

Examples of acceptable supporting evidence include:

  • Payment receipts.
  • Delivery notices.
  • Confirmation emails.
  • Courier tracking numbers.
  • Letters or emails from the issuing authority explaining delays.
  • Any communication confirming that the certificate has been requested but has not yet been issued.

Both the explanation letter and the supporting evidence should be uploaded in the police certificate section for the relevant country within the document checklist.

An IRCC officer will carefully review the information before deciding whether the application can continue.

If the officer believes the applicant made genuine and reasonable efforts to obtain the certificate, the application may continue while the certificate is being obtained.

However, if the officer is not satisfied that enough effort was made, the application may be considered incomplete and refused.

Applicants who submit their application without either the police certificate or supporting evidence explaining the delay risk having their application rejected because it is incomplete.

Moreover, if an applicant believes there is not enough evidence to prove reasonable efforts were made, declining the ITA may be the safer option.

When an ITA is declined, the Express Entry profile normally returns to the candidate pool if it is still valid. The applicant may receive another invitation during a future Express Entry draw, although another invitation is never guaranteed.

What Happens If A Country Requires An IRCC Request Letter?

Some countries have different rules for issuing police certificates.

In these situations, local authorities will only issue the certificate after receiving an official request letter from IRCC.

Applicants facing this situation do not need to miss the 60-day deadline.

Instead, they should upload a document in the police certificate section stating that the country requires an official request letter from IRCC before issuing the certificate.

After reviewing the permanent residence application, IRCC will determine whether the application is otherwise complete.

If everything else meets the requirements, the department will provide instructions explaining how the applicant can obtain the required police certificate using the official request letter.

This allows applicants to continue with their permanent residence application without missing the submission deadline.

How To Obtain A Police Certificate?

Applicants generally need to request police certificates directly from the police department or another government authority responsible for criminal record checks in the country where they lived.

Depending on the country, the document may have a different name.

Some common names include:

  • Police clearance certificate.
  • Certificate of good conduct.
  • Judicial record extract.

The application requirements also differ from one country to another.

Applicants may need to provide:

  • Identity documents.
  • Passport photographs.
  • Fingerprints.
  • Addresses where they previously lived.
  • Dates of residence.
  • Payment of the required government fee.

Country-specific instructions are available through IRCC’s official police certificate guidance, which explains where and how applicants should request the document for each country or territory.

IRCC also requires applicants to upload colour scans of the original police certificate.

Certified true copies or unofficial copies are generally not accepted and may result in the permanent residence application being refused.

Moreover, if the certificate has been issued in a language other than English or French, applicants must include both the original document & a certified translation prepared by an authorized translator.

Providing complete & accurate documents helps avoid unnecessary delays during application review.

Understanding Police Certificate Validity

Applicants must also pay close attention to how long police certificates remain valid.

IRCC has different validity requirements depending on where the certificate was issued.

For the candidate’s current country of residence, the police certificate must be issued no more than six months before the permanent residence application is submitted.

For countries where the applicant previously lived for six consecutive months or more after turning 18, the police certificate must be issued after the final stay in that country. This requirement applies to every eligible country of previous residence.

Submitting certificates that do not meet these validity requirements could lead to additional document requests or delays.

Some countries may take several months to issue police certificates. Preparing these documents well before receiving an Invitation to Apply is one of the best ways to avoid unnecessary stress.

Starting early gives applicants enough time to collect all required records, respond to unexpected delays, and submit a complete Express Entry application within the required 60-day deadline.

Palina Immigration Consultancy, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at Palinaimmigration.com.